There has been a long-standing rumor that the famous fashion designer Coco Chanel was the bathtub baby discovered in the late 1800s. The story goes that a young woman gave birth to a baby girl in a communal bathtub in a hospital for the poor, and then abandoned her.
While this story may seem like something out of a novel, it has captured the attention of many people over the years. So, is there any truth to it?
What is the Bathtub Baby Story?
The story begins in 1883, when an infant girl was found in a communal bathtub at the Hospice of the Poor. The hospice was a refuge for destitute women who were pregnant or had just given birth and had nowhere else to go.
According to some versions of the story, the baby’s mother was a young woman named Jeanne Devolle who had come to Paris seeking work. After giving birth in secret, she left her newborn daughter in the bathtub and disappeared.
The baby was later taken to an orphanage and given the name Gabrielle Chasnel. It wasn’t until years later that she would change her name to Coco Chanel and become one of the most influential fashion designers of all time.
Is There Any Evidence?
Despite being widely circulated, there is little evidence to support this theory. In fact, there are several inconsistencies with this version of events.
For one thing, there is no record of Jeanne Devolle ever existing. Additionally, while Coco Chanel did spend time as an orphan after her mother’s death, she was not abandoned at birth.
Finally, Chanel herself denied being the bathtub baby on multiple occasions. In an interview with Marcel Haedrich in 1965 she said: “I was not born under a cabbage leaf.”
Other Theories
While it’s unlikely that Coco Chanel was actually the bathtub baby, that hasn’t stopped people from speculating about who the child might have been.
Some have suggested that the baby was actually the illegitimate child of a member of the French aristocracy, and that her true identity was covered up to protect their reputation.
Others believe that the story was simply a fabrication created by Chanel herself to add a bit of mystery and intrigue to her life story.
The Bottom Line
In the end, it’s impossible to know for certain who the bathtub baby really was. While Coco Chanel’s rags-to-riches story has captivated people for generations, it seems unlikely that she was really abandoned at birth.
Regardless of the truth behind this particular tale, there is no denying that Coco Chanel left an indelible mark on the world of fashion and continues to inspire designers today.